Famous preacher pledges allegiance with PPP

Famous preacher pledges allegiance with PPP

JAKARTA (JP): The loyalty of Zainuddin MZ, a well-known Moslem
preacher whom political parties have fought for as a vote-getter,
remains with the United Development Party (PPP), his son said
Saturday.

Zainuddin, affectionately called "the preacher of millions of
people" for the huge turnout he attracts, has been labeled a
"Golkar propagator" because of his close relationship with the
dominant political organization.

His son, Fikri Haikal, told 15,000 PPP supporters at a
campaign in South Jakarta that Zainuddin's political loyalty was
with the Moslem-based PPP.

"Speculation that he supports Golkar is untrue," he said.

Zainuddin had always been a staunch PPP supporter. He has not
openly pledged allegiance to Golkar, but frequent public
appearances with Golkar officials have made people suspect he has
shifted allegiance.

His apparent closeness to Golkar has angered some PPP
supporters. A PPP politician twisted his nickname into "preacher
of a million rupiah" during a campaign in Semarang recently.

Fikri told reporters that his father's loyalty to PPP was
"unquestionable".

"We have discussed the speculation about him shifting
political loyalty to Golkar and he told me it was a lie," he
said.

Zainuddin frequently made public appearances with dangdut
singer Rhoma Irama, and with President Soeharto's eldest daughter
Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana in her "Golkar consolidation" visits to
Central and East Java cities long before the election campaign
started.

Rhoma, also a former PPP supporter, has crossed over to Golkar
and is now a Golkar legislative candidate for the Jakarta
constituency.

Zainuddin has said he is neutral in his work, saying he would
also accept request from the PPP and the PDI for religious
services. (imn/wrw)